Star Wars: Shadows of Scarif
by Darth-Slayer171
Summary: Shadow Squad is assigned to train the first batch of Death Troopers for the Empire on Scarif. This story follows the Shadow Squad in the years that lead up to the events in "Rogue One". This story offers an inside view in to the life of a clone after the Rise of the Empire. This is a story for a hardcore Star Wars Fan. *This takes place after Shadow Squad*


*Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of its properties ([Legends and Canon material alike] the Planets, events, ships, Gear, etc. Mentioned in this story). All those belong to George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and Disney. I do, however, own the characters: Commander Shadow, Spooks, Umbra, Captain Gloom, Shade, Semaj Scull, Puk Gorra, Sergeant Doja Kassal, Jolla Ivris, Lee Sarr, Var Teeb, and Major Fias Varsin. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Note: Although this story is not technically canon and is a work of FAN-FICTION, I like to believe that this story and its characters could potentially fit into the Star Wars Universe if simply viewed as a declassified story following one of the Empire's many Imperial Clone Black-ops units at the End of the Clone Wars. (Though, I repeat; this story is technically not Canon.) Thank you and enjoy.

* * *

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

STAR WARS:  
SHADOWS OF SCARIF

Scarif; Once a small outpost for mining the dense metals used in the construction of the Republic's Starships; the small facility had grown into a massive complex over the course of the Clone Wars.

Now serving the war machine of the new Galactic Empire, Scarif had become the center for the development of Top-Secret projects for the Imperial Military.

At the request of Emperor Palpatine, Shadow Squad; a team of Clone Shadow Commandos; has been assigned to facilitate the training of the new Death Trooper Program on Scarif. With their guidance, the Death Trooper Program could become the stepping stone to a new breed of elite soldier used by the Imperial Military...

* * *

Scarif, 19 B.B.Y

_The Black Dart_ made its final approach towards the small planet of Scarif.

Above the planet a fleet of Venator-class Star Destroyers patrolled the system. In a matter of minutes its flagship_, the Charred Skull_, had spotted the small Theta-class Stealth Attack Shuttle.

_"Unidentified Shuttle, this is restricted airspace. Identify yourselves, or we will use lethal force."_ Said a voice over the radio.

Seated at the controls of _the Black Dart_ were clone troopers dressed in their Phase II Clone Shadow Armor; Captain Gloom and Umbra; behind them stood Commander Shadow, the leader of Shadow Squad who was donning his black Phase I ARC Trooper armor.

The clone pilots quickly responded to the large Star Destroyer's warning.

"This is Commander Shadow, of _the Black Dart_; requesting permission to land on Scarif." Replied the Commander over the ship's radio. "We have strict orders from the Emperor himself to report to Citadel Tower."

_"Please transmit your clearance codes."_

"Transmitting codes. Standby."

Umbra tapped a button on the console in front of him; transmitting their clearance codes to the Star Destroyer.

It was silent for the next few moments while the clones waited for the crew of _the Charred Skull_ to process their ship's codes. After what seemed like an eternity, the other voice returned.

"_Crew of the Black Dart, you are cleared to land. You may proceed to Pad-3."_

Without any further delay, _the Black Dart_ continued its course toward the planet.

* * *

Shortly after _The Black Dart_ had landed, Commander Shadow was greeted by a team of clone troopers wearing standard Phase II armor, as he and Gloom walked down the loading ramp of the shuttle.

The Clone Commander approached one of the standard Clone troopers.

"I'm Commander Shadow, I have a meeting with General Ramda. However, one of my crew was injured on our last mission and needs medical attention." Said Shadow. "

"You're in luck, Commander. The General is waiting for you the Medical Bay." Said the clone. "My men will take you to him, right away."

Without saying a word, Shadow nodded to Gloom; who boarded the ship again.

The Clone Captain returned a moment later accompanied by Umbra and a Clone Commando wearing black Night-Ops Katarn-class armor known as Spooks. Together the three of them pushed the ship's medical capsule that contained the wounded member of their squad, Shade, down the loading ramp. When they were on the landing pad, the members of Shadow Squad followed their clone escorts to the base's medical facility.

* * *

Several minutes later, the Clones lead the members of Shadow Squad into the Med-bay. A large spotless medical facility filled with medical tables, bacta tanks, medical droids, and a whole manner of other medical equipment.

Once the Squad had transferred their wounded team member into one of the vacant bacta tanks, they were greeted by a older man in an Imperial uniform.

"Commander Shadow, I presume?" Said the man; who Shadow realized was General Ramda. "My apologies. I had planned on meeting you in person, but I was needed elsewhere. I'm General Ramda."

It soon became clear that Commander Shadow and his men were not fond of pleasantries.

"Let's not get sidetracked, General." Said Shadow. "We're here for the Death Trooper Program; not a social visit. Once the recruits arrive, my men and I will begin their training."

"When they arrive?" The General looked confused. "The recruits are already here."

He pointed to six bacta tanks on the other end of med-bay. Floating in the tanks were human's that measured around 1.91 to 1.96 meters in height.

"They have undergone the augmentation process for the past three months." Said the General.

The Clones looked at the sedated cadets floating in the bacta tanks before their very eyes. Each of the recruits had several scars that ran along the sides of their necks to just under their ears; a clear sign of the augmentation process. The bacta was doing its job, because there appeared to be no sign of infection in the scars.

"Towards the end of the Clone Wars, the Emperor created several military programs that trained civilian volunteers in basic combat to aid the Republic in the war against the Separatists." The General continued. "He selected several suitable cadets who had volunteered to join the new Death Trooper Program. He was confident that with your training, these cadents will become the first of a new class of elite Imperial trooper."

Commander Shadow looked at the bacta tanks, then back at the General.

"When do we Begin?"

* * *

_ The Commander briefed us on what our duties as training facilitators would be for the Death Trooper Program; Spooks would train the cadets in working with grenades and other explosives; Umbra would train them on how to use the various software built into their new armor; I would be in charge of training the cadets in hand-to-hand combat and Close Quarters Combat; Once Shade recovered he would be in charge of weapons and marksmanship; The Commander would focus on training the cadets in implementing various military tactics on the battlefield; I can honestly think of no one better suited for that job than the Commander himself. _

_ Personally, I didn't like that the Shadow had agreed to pull our Squad from active duty just so we could train a squad of cadets; but it's not my place to question the Commander's orders. This was the mission. Shadow Squad would see it done. _

_ After a few days in the bacta tank Shade made a full recovery; though his young clone face still bore some scars from the injures he had sustained during our last mission. The moment his mouth had healed, it became impossible to shut him up. Although not all of us showed it, we were glad to have Shade back. Once he was cleared by medical personnel to return to the squad, the Commander briefed him on his training duties for the program._

_ Around the same time, the final stages of the Augmentation Process had finished, the Death Troopers were released from their bacta tanks. After they had exited their tanks, it took them a while to adjust to their new height and weight. I didn't see what all the fuss was about; even with their augmented height, the cadets were still only a few centimeters taller than us; though I don't envy what they went through to gain their new height._

_ According to one of the medical droids, the cadets needed to remain sedated through the entire three-month augmentation period because the process was very painful; without the exposure to the healing properties of their bacta tanks, the ineffable pain their bodies experienced while their bones, muscles, and skin grew rapidly during the process, would have killed them if they had been even slightly conscious during the procedure._

_ Once the cadets had adapted to their augmented bodies, it was time for their training to begin._

* * *

The Cadets stood at full attention in one of the complex's many training facilities as their clone instructors inspected them before they started training. Each of them was wearing their black cadet uniforms, which bore the Imperial Crest on each sleeve. Thanks to the bacta, the augmentation scars on their necks were nearly invisible.

"Cadets, you have been selected for this program because the Empire thinks you are the best." Commander Shadow said, slowly pacing down the line. "My men and I are here to make you even better. You will be put through training that will push each of you to your limits, until you have earned the right to call yourselves Death Troopers. The Empire has no place for weakness in its ranks. The civilian lives you once knew are over. You will be the first of a new breed of elite soldier in the Imperial Military. You will live for the Empire; fight for the Empire; and die for the Empire, serving loyally as lethal tools in the Imperial War Machine."

"'Says the clone tool…" Said one of the cadets to himself under his breath, hoping that the Commander had not heard him; unfortunately, he had.

The Commander approached the Cadet.

The Cadet wore a smug grin on his face. His short black hair, which had been trimmed into a military crew cut, was almost as dark as the uniform he wore. If he had to guess, the Commander would have said that the Cadet was in his mid-twenties.

The Commander stopped in front of the Cadet. "What is your name, Cadet?"

"DT-I57." Said the Cadet.

"I asked for your name, Cadet. Not your service number."

"Semaj Scull." Answered the Cadet arrogantly, still smirking.

"Is there something funny you'd like to share with us, Cadet Scull?"

"I was thinking…" said Cadet Scull, "The war's over. The Empire doesn't need an army of clones running around anymore, when civilians from all over the galaxy are enlisting. If the Emperor really wants us to be elite soldiers, why'd he send a clone like you to train us?"

Commander Shadow smirked and said nothing. Without warning, the Commander punched Cadet Scull hard in the stomach; the tall cadet doubled over and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.

The Commander was no longer smiling. "Because I am the best of the best." He said coldly. "Remember your place, Cadet. Now… get back in line."

Cadet Scull quickly got to his feet and moved back in line.

Shadow turned to Gloom, who had been standing off to the side with the rest of Shadow Squad. "Captain Gloom…"

"Yes, Commander?" Asked the Clone Captain.

"The next time, Cadet Scull decides to open his mouth, shoot him with a stun round."

"Yes, Sir."

Cadet Scull's eyes widened with fear and he keep his mouth shut.

The Commander continued down the line and looked at the next cadet, who immediately snapped to attention and saluted the Commander.

"Oun Tel." The Brow-haired Cadet said nervously. "Service number DT-5533."

Like Cadet Scull, Oun Tel was in his mid-twenties. He did not lower his arm until the clone commander had nodded and moved on to the Cadet with cleanly-shaven head standing beside him.

"Riggs Nema." The Cadet said without any hint of fear. "Service number DT-A19."

Although, Riggs Nema appeared to be in his late-twenties, it was clear he had witnessed his fair share of combat during the Clone Wars; his grey-eyes told the story of a man who'd lost friends and family during the war; eyes that had been forced to endure the hardships of war, which had robbed him of his innocence. It was possible Nema had been part of a civilian resistance on one of the Out-Rim planets during the war; which would explain the Cadet's familiarity with military protocol, the Commander had thought to himself, before moving on.

"Kol Degas" Said the ginger-haired Cadet, in a thick accent. "Service number DT-L21, at your service."

The Commander noted that the Cadet's bright green eyes had a mystical-quality, which only made them stand out even more with the trimmed ginger-goatee that covered the man's chin.

Beside Degas stood the only female cadet on the team. Although she was the shortest of the other cadets, she still stood at an impressive 1.91 meters tall. Her vibrant strawberry blonde hair hung at her ears in a short pixie cut, with complimented her pale skin and blue eyes; traits many humanoid civilians considered beautiful. The hard expression on her face reflected the mentality of a soldier and contrasted with her other pleasant features, which gave her a more professional disposition.

"Yen Jargo," She said saluting the commander. "Service number DT-F16."

The Commander nodded and turned to the final cadet standing before him.

"Puk Gorra." Said the Cadet in a gruff voice. "Service number DT-X83."

Cadet Gorra, was a strong built man in his mid-twenties, like many of the other cadets, and had short dirty blonde hair the color of sand. He was the tallest of the cadets and stood at 1.96 meters tall, practically towering over the Commander; though the Commander had encountered taller humanoid species during the war.

Having inspected his men, Commander Shadow turned to the cadets and introduced the members of Shadow Squad one by one.

"As you all know, I'm Commander Shadow. I'll be in charge of this operation. I've studied a wide variety of military tactics, that have made me a nightmare for the Emperor's enemies over the years. The clones standing in front of you are Shadow Squad; an elite team of black-ops Clone Shadow Commandos. Captain Gloom is my second in command and will be training you in Hand-to-Hand and Close Quarter Combat. Over there is Demolition Expert Spooks. He'll be training you how to use and disarm explosive equipment. Beside him is Tech-Expert Umbra. He'll bring you up to speed on the many state or the art technology featured in your new Death Trooper armor. Our sharpshooter, Shade, will oversee your weapons and marksmanship training."

The Commander paused briefly, before continuing. "Lastly, High Command has asked for the name of our squad. So, as of this moment, this unit will be known as, _Ghost Squad_. Your training begins now." He turned back to Gloom. "They're yours, Captain."

Gloom stepped forward. "Cadets, the first; and probably the most important lesson of warfare; is learning how to effectively observe your surroundings. I've seen good soldiers die because they didn't check their position for any danger, before they charged head-first into battle. You could be the best soldier the Empire has to offer; and still be killed by a land mine, because you were too stupid to scan the area before moving forward.

"A good soldier familiarizes himself with any environment he is currently occupying; taking note of anything that might become a potential threat to himself or his men; while at the same time, searching for any tactical advantage the location may offer. The moment he is not fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages of his current location; is the moment his enemy gains the upper-hand. One careless mistake can result in the death of your team."

Gloom pointed to the door to the next section of the training facility. "Once you enter those doors, your squad will have to navigate though a series of hallways, until you have reached the end of the course. This exercise will simulate entering a hostile facility with no intel."

"No intel? Are you joking?" Cadet Scull exclaimed. "How is that fair?"

Gloom put his hand on one of the pistols on his belt; The Cadet shut his mouth immediately.

"Don't talk to me about what's fair." The Clone Captain said coldly. "You won't always have the luxury of having good intel to assist you on a mission. Sometimes you will be forced to move in blind. At that point, your ability to assess your surroundings can prove to be the difference between life and death for the other members of your squad."

Gloom looked at the other recruits. "Any other stupid questions?"

No one said a word.

"Good." He said nodding to Umbra, who picked up one of the training helmets and approached the cadets.

"Because the Empire is still working on your armor you will be using these modified training helmets." Umbra said, holding up the helmet. "Each of these helmets is equipped with prototype MacroMotionMonitor and multifrequency targeting sensors that will help you pick up any movement in your area and assist with targeting. The software hasn't been perfected yet, so there may be a few bugs we'll have to work out before it goes into your finished armor, but other than that they should work just fine."

The clone let out a sigh of disappointment as looked at the standard training armor meant for training the standard stormtrooper, which he realized would not cover the augmented bodies of the cadets completely. "Unfortunately, the only training armor available was meant for the standard stormtrooper cadet, so… it…"

"It might be a little snug on you." Chuckled Spooks.

The Cadets quickly slid the ill-fitting training armor over their heads. The armor barely covered the top-half of their torso and shoulders.

Shade stepped forward. "Like Umbra said, most of the equipment for the Death Trooper Program is still being developed, so you'll have to work with what we've got for the time being. You'll be using these DC-15A blaster rifles equipped with stun rounds. Until your new blasters arrive, you will have to familiarize yourselves with these."

Spooks walked down the line and handed a blaster to each of the cadets.

Gloom pointed towards a set of monitors attached to a control board on the other side of the room. "Once you enter, a live video-feed will allow us to follow your progress. We will be watching your every move. If you fail to complete your objective, the entire squad will run the simulation again. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir!" The cadets said in unison.

"Good. On my mark… Begin!"

The door opened with a _hiss_. A second later the cadets hurried into the training course.

* * *

The Cadets cautiously proceeded down the first hallway. The long dimly-lit hallway with black tile floors and dark-grey metallic walls made it difficult for the squad to determine which of the walls potentially contained threats.

Riggs Nema took point as the squad rounded the next corridor; There was something about the stillness of the quiet hallway that made him feel uneasy. "I don't like this. It's too easy." He said, slowly sweeping his blaster in front of him. "Keep your eyes open and watch where you step."

Not a moment after Nema had finished his sentence, Semaj Scull took a step forward; his foot accidentally pressed down on a hidden pressure plate that blended in with the other floor tiles. A powerful surge of electricity traveled up the Cadet's leg and quickly coursed through the rest of his body. He cried out and collapsed onto the ground, before finally losing consciousness.

The other members of Ghost Squad quickly turned; momentarily lowering their defenses after being distracted by their fallen teammate's cries of pain. This was a mistake. The motion sensors in their helmets, suddenly detected movement to their left.

Seconds later, a small hatch in the wall opened and revealed an Automated Laser Projector. The laser projector fired stun rounds that struck four of the five remaining cadets before they could react. Riggs Nema quickly dived out of the way; hitting the ground in a roll, as the stun bolts zipped past him. A split-second later he was back on his feet and fired his blaster at the Laser projector; neutralizing it with a stun round.

Wasting no time, he moved into the next hallway. Immediately, device in his helmet indicated movement on the ceiling and on the wall to his right. He reacted before he even heard the hidden panels open; firing at both his targets before they were able to get a shot off.

Moving swiftly, while carefully avoiding any pressure plates on the floor, Cadet Nema moved into the adjacent hallway. Once again, the motion sensor beeped wildly; according to the sensor in his helmet there were two laser projectors on the walls to his left and right, one on the wall at the end of the hallway in front of him, one on the ceiling, and another on the wall behind him. He was surrounded.

Pulling the trigger and swinging his blaster in a sweeping motion the cadet unleashed a blur of blaster-fire at the laser projectors in front of him; only to get hit by two stun-rounds in the right arm and back, before he could turn around. His body collapsed on the ground with a loud _thud_, then everything went black.

* * *

Back in the other room, Shadow watched the training footage on the monitors in front of him.

"They're sloppy." Said Gloom, shaking his head. "They're unorganized, undisciplined, and lack leadership. That Cadet Scull is a real piece of work. If he'd been a clone, Commander Colt would've had him sweeping floors. I highly doubt he'd have seen any battle."

"Alpha-17 would've probably shot him onsite, or had him decommissioned as a defective soldier." The Commander agreed, still reviewing the recording. "But you're right. I've never seen a squad this disorganized since the beginning of the Clone Wars." He watched Riggs Nema on the screen. "Cadet Nema is the only one who seems to know what he's doing. He definitely preformed the best during exercise. That's why I'm recommending he be promoted to Squad Leader. With any luck, he'll shape Ghost Squad into a sharp, lethal team that's fit for Imperial service." He turned away from the monitors and looked at the Clone Captain. "When Cadet Nema wakes up, inform him of his promotion. Then have the rest of his squad revived. They're running the drill again in ten minutes."

Gloom nodded.

"If they fail again, they'll have to run the drill again." Said Shadow. "We'll make them run this until they get it right. I won't tolerate failure. The Emperor wants them to be the best, so they're going to be trained like the best."

* * *

_Cadet Nema took to his new position nicely. As squad leader he was in charge of organizing his troops for every drill. Soon even Cadet Scull was falling into line; though, that didn't change the fact that he wasn't fond of having us overseeing Ghost Squad's training, but he was smart enough to keep his opinions to himself._

_Day by day we began to see improvement in the squad's performance. Cadet Nema kept a tight leash on the members of his squad while we continued their rigorous training. High Command had even gotten the squad newer training armor that fit the augmented bodies of the cadets. Ghost Squad had become stronger, more disciplined, and more organized under their new squad leader; but more importantly, they had become a team. _

_After months of intense training, the cadets of Ghost Squad were ready to show the Empire what they could do. A few days ago, we learned that Ghost Squad would be representing the Death Trooper Program in the Imperial War Games Competition on Scarif against the new Imperial Shadow Trooper program. The Competition would showcase the skillsets of both Covert-Ops programs and help the Empire determine which of the two programs were superior. According to Shadow, the program that preformed the best during the battle simulation would become the first unit in a new branch of the Imperial Military._

_If that didn't inspire the cadets to perform their best, the fact that several influential Moffs and high-ranking officers from across the galaxy (including Wullf Yularen, a former Admiral during the Clone Wars who was now working for the Imperial Security Bureau) would be present to observe the competition, definitely did the trick. _

_With that kind of pull, it wouldn't be long before the winning program found its way to the front lines. _

_One thing was certain; we had done everything in our power to prepare Ghost Squad for this moment. Whatever happens tomorrow is up to them._

* * *

Scarif, 18 B.B.Y

Ghost Squad gathered in the briefing hall, clad from the neck down in their new Death Trooper armor, the recruits held their black helmets at their sides as they awaited instruction from their clone commanders. Captain Gloom and the rest of Shadow Squad entered the room.

"Cut the chatter!" He barked. "Attention!"

Without hesitation the Death Trooper Recruits snapped to attention and saluted; the noise in the room died instantly as Commander Shadow entered the briefing hall. After inspecting each of his recruits, the veteran Clone Commander was pleased with Ghost Squad's presentation, though his face never showed it.

"At ease."

The Recruits lowered their arms as the Commander continued. "The next few minutes will determine whether or not the Death Trooper Program will become part of future training programs in the Imperial Military. Your performance over this past year has gotten you this far, but your performance in the training arena will prove if you have truly earned the right to wear that armor.

"You will be competing against a squad of Imperial Shadow Troopers know as Night Squad. They have been trained in various stealth tactics and their armor is equipped with built-in cloaking devices, making them almost completely invisible once activated. You will need to rely on your training and utilize the state-of-the-art equipment built into your own armor against them.

"We have also learned that Governor Tarkin, Lieutenant-Commander Orson Krennic, and other members of High Command will be personally overseeing the competition. Their shuttle has passed through the new Shield Gate and landed an hour ago. They will determine which program will receive further Imperial funding based on your performance as a squad, out there. So, show them that you are the best of the best."

The Commander paused for a moment; looking into the faces of each of the recruits. "It has been an honor training you. Now go out there and make us proud. Dismissed."

* * *

A few minutes later, the competing squads entered the enormous training arena inside Citadel Tower. At the far side of the arena, stood a large two-story outpost surrounded by five large barricades positioned at the front of the outpost.

The members of Shadow Squad joined the other Imperial officers on the observation deck that overlooked the training area. Among the many important officers in attendance was General Sotorus Ramda, the head commanding officer of Scarif Base. At the front of the observation deck stood the recently promoted, Colonel of the Imperial Security Bureau, Col. Wullf Yularen. The Colonel proudly wore his new white officer's uniform, which had differed greatly from the grey one he wore during the Clone Wars. Beside him stood Governor Wilhuff Tarkin and Lieutenant-Commander Orson Krennic.

"Congratulations on making it this far, Recruits." Said Col. Yularen, overlooking the recruits below him. "Each of you were selected for your designated programs based on the exemplary scores you received at the Imperial Academy. Since then you have accomplished a great deal in such a short period of time.

"Both the Death Trooper and Shadow Trooper Programs have earned impressive reputations whilst on Scarif. However; Only one program will move forward. _Ghost Squad_ will be competing on behalf of the Death Trooper Program, while _Night Squad_ will be competing on behalf of the Shadow Trooper Program. The results of this battle simulation will determine which program will become fully implemented into future Imperial Training Programs here on Scarrif.

"The objective of this exercise will be infiltration. One squad will be tasked with defending the flag located in the outpost, while the other attempts to retrieve it. The objective cannot be completed until you have neutralized the members of the opposing squad. Each of your weapons have been set for stun to ensure the safety of the participants.

"_Night Squad_," Continued the Colonel, looking down at the squad wearing black Imperial Stormtrooper armor. "you will be on the offensive for the first round of this simulation. You may now exit the arena. You may reenter once the simulation begins. Good luck."

The six members of _Night Squad_ quickly exited the arena, without a word.

The Colonel looked down at members of _Ghost Squad_.

"_Ghost Squad_, your objective is to defend the flag in this outpost at all costs. You may take your positions."

Wasting no time, Riggs Nema; the squad leader of _Ghost Squad_; quickly distributed orders to each of the squad members. "DT-F-One-Six, set your rifle into sniper configuration and cover the main entrance from the north-side tower window on the second floor."

Yen Jargo, nodded and quickly moved to get into position.

"DT-X-Eight-Three, set two trip mines beside barriers 1 and 3, then from up with DT-I-Five-Seven at barrier 5 in front of the main entrance."

Both troops nodded. After setting the trip mines, Puk Gorra joined Semaj Scull at barrier 5 outside the main entrance.

Riggs turned to Oun Tel and Kol Degas. "DT-Five-Five-Three-Seven, DT-L-Two-One, you'll be with me in the outpost guarding the flag."

The two troopers nodded and followed their squad leader into the outpost.

* * *

Once the squad members were all in position, Col. Yularen prepared for the start of the round.

"On my mark…Begin."

A buzzer sounded, signifying the beginning of the first round.

At the sound of the buzzer, _Night Squad_ quickly reentered the arena from far entrance. As they entered, the Shadow Troopers activated their cloaking devices and vanished.

Noticing this from the second story window of the outpost, Yen contacted the other members of _Ghost Squad_.

" _They're cloaked_." She said through the voice-scrambler on the squad's private comms channel.

" _Copy that_." Answered the Squad Leader's voice. "_Stay on alert. We might not be able to see the enemy, but our motion sensors should be able to pick up the slightest movement on the ground around us. Hold your fire until you have an idea of your target's location. No spray and pray_."

The silence was suddenly interrupted by the small detonation of the trip mine by Barrier 3.

In a split second, the stun charge in the mine hit Shadow Trooper ST-7112 in the thigh, which caused him to decloak as he collapsed onto the ground; completely unconscious.

" _Target 1 neutralized. Five targets remaining_." Whispered Semaj, coolly.

The motion sensor in Yen's helmet suddenly picked up movement two meters next the fallen Shadow Trooper's position. Taking a deep breath, she aimed her DLT-19D sniper rifle towards the cloaked Shadow Trooper's position; then pulled the trigger.

The blast hit Shadow Trooper, ST-9335 directly in the chest, just as he attempted to vault over Barrier 2; the Shadow Trooper's body landed awkwardly on the floor, while his right leg remained elevated on Barrier 2.

" _Target 2 neutralized_." said Yen.

Unfortunately, the attack gave her position away; the young trooper only realized her mistake after she was hit by a stun blast from an enemy blaster. She groaned quietly; losing consciousness as her limp body slumped against that wall.

" _F-One-Six is down_." Puk reported. "_Picking up enemy movement on the left and right of our position._"

Still guarding the main entrance door, Semaj and Puk cautiously held their E-11D blasters in front of them; scanning the battlefield with their rifles in a slow sweeping motion. There was movement 20 meters to their right.

" _Two…No. Three, hostiles approaching fast to my right_." Semaj said as he fired in that direction; hitting one of the Shadow Troopers with several short bursts from the rapid-fire setting on his E-11D blaster rifle, while the other two decloaked and crouched behind the other side of Barrier 4, as they used it for cover and returned fire.

" _I see them_." Said Puk, as he provided covering fire. "_Do we have eyes on…Hold on. 'Picking up a large energy surge 50 meters to my right._"

A second later, the final Shadow Trooper decloaked. Unlike the other Shadow Troopers, this one was armed with a T-21 heavy blaster, which was now directly aimed at the two Death Troopers guarding the main entrance.

"T-21! TAKE COVER!" Puk shouted in Basic, quickly shoving Semaj out of the way of the powerful blast, just at it hit his own body.

Semaj moved a little closer towards the door of the outpost's main entrance. "_Three remaining hostiles closing in on the entrance. 'Won't be able to hold them for long. Hostiles funneling towards the entrance. You've got 30 sec—_"

*BOOM!*

Riggs, Oun, Kol waited in the "Command Room" of the outpost crouching low to the ground; their E-11D blasters led at the ready. Riggs withdrew two smoke grenades and tossed them in front of him. In a matter of seconds, the "Command Room" was completely filled with smoke.

"_Wait for my signal_." Whispered Riggs.

The door whizzed open suddenly. The three Shadow Troopers entered the outpost cautiously; clearly not expecting the room to be filled with smoke. Although they were all recloaked, the silhouettes of their armor became was visible in the thick smoke.

"**FIRE!"** Ordered Riggs.

Without a second's hesitation, Oun and Kol unleashed a volley of blaster-fire, barraging the remaining Shadow Troopers before any of them could fire a shot.

And with that, the first round of the simulation was over.

* * *

From the observation deck, Col. Yularen and the rest of the spectators clapped; all except Governor Tarkin who remained quiet and reserved.

"Well done, _Ghost Squad_." Said Col. Yularen. "You may proceed to the waiting area with the rest of your squad members."

The remaining members of _Ghost Squad_ exited the outpost, continued out the training arena, and sat in the waiting area, until the rest of their squad members were revived and brought to them.

Lieutenant-Commander Krennic clapped his gloved hands. "An excellent display. I look forward to seeing them in action in the next round of the simulation."

"That won't be necessary." Said Tarkin, stepping forward.

The other officers looked at the Governor in surprise.

"With this single display, the Death Troopers have demonstrated their capabilities in assault and defense tactics." Continued Tarkin. "In addition to completing their primary objective; defending the outpost, while neutralizing all the enemy targets; _Ghost Squad_ tactically and effectively utilized the resources at their disposal against their cloaked assailants. It is evidently clear who the victor is."

Yularen thought for a moment. "Hmmm… I agree."

"Excellent." Said Tarkin. "It appears the decision is unanimous. Therefore, Scarif will remain the primary site for the Death Trooper Program, effective immediately."

"Governor Tarkin…" Said one of the other officers, nervously. "What of _Night Squad_. Do you really intend to shut down the entire Shadow Trooper Program?"

Tarkin, thought for a moment. "Hmmm…The Emperor may have further use for the Shadow Trooper Program, once it is fully developed, of course. I believe the Imperial outpost on Sullust would be a suitable location for the continued development of the Shadow Trooper Program. I'm confident the program will find its way onto the front lines, in time."

Tarkin turned to Yularen. "Who was is responsible for training Ghost Squad?"

Yularen gestured toward the members of Shadow Squad. "May I introduce, Commander Shadow, Leader of _Shadow Squad_."

Tarkin eyed the Clone Commander as he approached. "You and your squad oversaw the training of the Death Troopers, is that correct?"

"It is." Said Shadow.

"Very well. As of this moment, each member of _Ghost Squad_ will receive promotions and begin training their own squads of Death Troopers as soon as possible. You may inform _Ghost Squad_ of my decision. With any luck, we will be able to complete training on a larger scale for future units."

"Yes, Sir."

"As you were, Commander." Said Tarkin, as he watched the squad of clones exit the observation deck.

Once the squad of veteran clones were gone, Lieutenant-Commander Krennic turned to Tarkin.

"I believe the Death Troopers will make a fine addition to future Imperial forces." Said Krennic. "I plan to request a squad of my own to serve as my personal bodyguards and enforcers, once I return to Geonsis. They certainly have proven their capabilities; wouldn't you agree, Governor?"

"Yes… They are impressive." Said Tarkin deep in thought. "There are, of course, other programs that will take precedence over the Death Trooper Program, such as Project _Stardust_; but I believe we can make use of them?"

Tarkin eyed a nearby monitor, on which was a live recording of Shadow Squad informing Ghost Squad of their new orders. Tarkin smiled smugly. "Amusing. Isn't it, Krennic?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Those clones are unaware that they've just trained their own replacements."

* * *

Scarif, 15 B.B.Y.

_With the support of Governor Tarkin, the Death Trooper Program on Scarif grew significantly over the next three years. The success of the program made it possible for multiple squads to be trained together at Scarif Base, under the watchful gaze of Ghost Squad, and my team. After training several new squads of Death Troopers for the program, the original members of Ghost Squad eventually went on to lead squads of their own. _

_Months after leaving the training program on Scarif, Riggs Nema was assigned to lead "Death Squad"; Commander Krennic's personal squad of Death Troopers, who served as bodyguards and enforcers for the ambitious Imperial Officer. _

_After training two of the highest preforming squads in the Death Trooper Program, Yen Jargo was quickly promoted to the rank of Captain. Like Riggs, Jargo left Scarif to serve in one of Krennic's other squads; tasked with protecting shipments of material for a classified project that Krennic and his team had been working on. Once that happened, her whereabouts also became Classified._

_Oun Tel's impressive reputation for effectively training his recruits to become ruthless soldiers, quickly earned him a spot as the commanding officer of Unit TI-23, which later became known as "the Undying"; a unit of Death Troopers who he personally had a hand in training. In addition to his training methods, Tel's efficiency on the battlefield earned him a reputation hostile forces soon came to fear._

_A few months ago, Kol Degas and Puk Gorra left Scarif to serve in the personal guard of Governor Tarkin. Naturally, their job was to serve as escorts and bodyguards for the Governor whenever he traveled; which became very often. _

_The final member of the Squad, Semaj Scull, remained on Scarif after receiving his promotion. He continued to train future recruits for the Death Trooper Program and earned a shining reputation for the results he produced with his training methods. _

_As the months progressed, the growth acceleration process that the Kaminoans had embedded into our genetic code at birth, had become more apparent in my brothers and I. The subtle salt and pepper characteristics that had once been present in the Commander's hair had now become fully grey. Even my younger brothers were beginning to resemble humanoid males in their early-forties. _

_Despite our age, my brothers and I went on to successfully train three more squads of Death Troopers for the Empire after training Ghost Squad. Unfortunately, no amount of success could change the undeniable fact that we were getting older._

* * *

"Why don't you take a break, Commander. The Squad and I can lead the recruits back to the barracks for you." Said Gloom to the very winded clone commander, while the rest of Shadow Squad led their new squad of recruits on a routine training drill across one of Scarif's many beaches.

Commander Shadow shook his head. "I won't stand by while someone else leads my squad for me." He said, still panting. "I'm more than capable of keeping up with my own recruits."

_The Commander's really been pushing himself to keep up with the new recruits these past few weeks_, Gloom thought to himself. _He's getting older and its starting to show. Of course, it doesn't help that the Empire has ordered us to condense a year's worth of training into a six-month program in an attempt to increase the rate of troop production; Sacrificing quality for quantity._ He shook his head in disapproval at that thought.

During the duration of the drill, Gloom kept a close eye on the Commander. For a while, the Commander was able maintain a steady pace with the young recruits; only to fall behind again a few minutes later, despite his best efforts.

This time however, Shadow was clutching his chest; a pained expression covered his sweat-drenched face as he attempted to continue running; He staggered for a moment; then collapsed onto the sandy beach.

"COMMANDER!" Shouted Gloom; quickly rushing over to his fallen commanding officer.

Suddenly alerted to the Commander's dire predicament, the rest of Shadow Squad and their recruits came to a halt.

"OFFICER DOWN!" Shouted Spooks, alerting any nearby patrols on the beach of the situation. "WE NEED A MEDIC OVER HERE! OFFICER DOWN!"

A team of Imperial Shoretroopers on patrol with a KX-series security droid overheard the shouting on the beach and moved to investigate the disturbance. Upon realizing there was someone calling for medical attention, the team rushed to fallen clone commander's position without a moment's hesitation.

"What happened?" Asked one of the Shoretroopers.

"He collapsed during one of our routine training drills." Said Gloom.

The Second Shoretrooper quickly bent down and placed two fingers on the side of the Commander's neck.

"I'm not getting a pulse." The Second Shoretrooper said.

"We need to get him to a medical facility!" replied the First, turning to the Security Droid. "You know what to do!"

The Tall Droid quickly bent down and lifted Commander Shadow's limp body off the ground in its long robotic arms. A few seconds later, the Droid sprinted towards the Security Complex with the Commander still in its arms.

"Come with us, Sir." The First Shoretrooper said, turning back to Gloom. "We need to move quickly."

A moment later, Spooks was beside the Captain. "What can I do, Gloom?"

"Stay with the recruits!" said Gloom. "I'm going to follow the Commander to the Med-Bay! I'll meet you back at the barracks when I know more!"

"Yes, Sir." Spooks said, before quickly returning to the squad of recruits.

Not wanting to waste any more precious time, the Clone Captain quickly turned and followed the Shoretroopers to the Security Complex in a full-sprint.

* * *

It was late when Gloom finally returned to the barracks. The usual grim expression on his face appeared particularly gloomier as he entered the officer's barracks and approached his clone brothers.

"Where's Shadow?" Spooks asked after noticing that the Commander was not with the Captain.

Gloom shook his head; uncertain of what his next words would be.

"He's… He didn't make it…"

The other clones looked at each other in disbelief.

"What happened?" asked Shade, nervously.

"His heart gave out." Gloom replied stoically, masking his true emotions from his clone brothers as he continued. "The Doctors believe that all the stress and excessive physical activity the Commander had been putting on his body while training the recruits are what contributed to the long-term effects his body was already experiencing as a result of the accelerated aging. They explained that given the nature of the clone aging process, it would only have been a matter of time before his body finally expired."

The Clones stood in silence as they absorbed this new information. Spooks was the first to break the silence.

"No…" He said, shaking his head in denial. "No… He can't be gone. It doesn't make any sense…"

"It's true, Spooks." Gloom said, with is hint of empathy in his voice. "He's gone."

"NO!" shouted Spooks, kicking over the small table in front of him, then tossed the chair beside it across the room during his sudden outburst.

"Get a handle on those emotions, Soldier!" Ordered Gloom sharply; There was a venom in his eyes that the other clones had not seen before. "Another outburst like that and you'll find yourself sleeping in the brig! **Am I understood?!**"

Reluctantly, the Clone Demolition Expert allowed himself to calm down. "Yes, Sir."

"I'm not denying that this is a big loss," Gloom continued, "but, we still have a job to do. The Commander always said, "The mission always comes first." This is our mission. It's our job to see it through for him. We need to have calm heads if we're going to get it done."

The Squad remained silent; the Captain's speech had improved their moods a little, but signs of their grief were still present on their tired faces.

"It's been a long day." The Captain said, tiredly. "Get some rest. The recruits have more drills in the morning. Dismissed."

* * *

_The following night, my brothers and I paid our last respects to Commander Shadow. _

_The "funeral" had been nothing more than a KX droid pushing the Commander's body into the base's large trash incinerator, while the four of us stood by and watched; A TRASH INCINERATOR!; As if the Commander had been nothing more than another load of expendable waste that the Empire wanted gone to make room for more expendable waste to take its place. Shadow deserved better than this._

_We watched as the Commander's body vanished in a flash of light; leaving nothing behind once the smoke had cleared._

_Over the next few months, The Higher-ups kept a close eye on the members of Shadow Squad after the untimely death of Commander Shadow. As a precaution, General Ramda assigned one of our former recruits, Semaj Scull, to assist us with the final stages of training the late-commander's recruits._

_Despite my promotion to the squad's head training coordinator, Scull began to question my authority and argued that my training methods were becoming too outdated to meet Imperial standards._

_A year later, the rest of the Empire shared his opinion..._

* * *

Scarif 14 B.B.Y.

"With all due respect, General; What do you mean Shadow Squad has been reassigned?" Gloom asked.

General Sotorus Ramda, sat behind the large desk in his office on one of the upper levels of Citadel Tower and stared at the aging Clone officer standing before him. To his right stood, Semaj Scull, who was dressed in his Duty Uniform; an all-black tunic, neatly pressed black trousers, an officer's cap and his ranking cylinders; instead of his DeathTrooper Armor.

"Precisely how it sounds, Captain." The General replied. "You and your team are being transferred to work in the Maintenance Division of this outpost."

"THE MAINTENANCE DIVISION?!" Shouted Gloom, clearly outraged by the General's decision. "My men are soldiers! SOLDIERS! And you expect us to clean floors!"

"There is no reason for the Galactic Empire to continue using aging clones, who are liable to keel over at any moment." Said Scull.

"I'm afraid I agree with Lieutenant Scull." Agreed the General. "Your training methods have become outdated. Due to the nature of the rapid age-progression you and the other clone members of _Shadow Squad_ are exhibiting as a byproduct of the old Kaminoan cloning program, and given what happened to Commander Shadow… Perhaps it would be best if future Death Troopers were trained by younger Imperial Officers.

"In fact, I have been told that Imperial forces throughout the galaxy have already begun retiring the aging clone veterans polluting their ranks and reassigned their jobs to soldiers who are better suited to carry out their duties in a prompt and effective manner. That is why I am placing Lieutenant Scull in charge of training future Death Troopers on Scarif, as of this moment."

"Thank you, General." Replied the young Lieutenant.

The General nodded, then turned his attention back to Gloom. "I'm afraid the Empire no longer has any need of your military services."

"I'm old. Not obsolete!" Spat Gloom, angrily.

"Indeed." Replied the General. "That is why, I'm certain this facility will continue to benefit from the services you and your men will be providing from your new station. You are dismissed."

* * *

_For the next twelve years, my men and I, reluctantly preformed our janitorial duties and maintained the many facilities of Scarif Base. _

_My brothers did not take to their new post very well. Depression had begun to set in. The work the Empire was giving us to do was not soldier's work. We spent our days cleaning the floors, repairing broken equipment, cataloging the many shipments sent to and from Scarif, and many other non-combatant jobs a civilian could perform. We had gone from respected war heroes to a crew of lowly janitors._

_Although our lives on Scarif were uneventful, the same could not be said for the rest of the galaxy._

_As we went about out duties over the years, we'd overhear officers talking to each other about what was happening in the galaxy as they'd pass by. Once time we heard that there had been a failed assassination attempt of the Emperor's life during his visit to Ryloth by a Twi'lek terrorist named, Cham Syndulla. On several occasions, we heard the name "Saw Gerrera" and the word "Partisans" mentioned regarding unusually violent rebel attacks. _

_A year later, the Imperial HoloNet mentioned that a lone Chiss warrior from the Unknown Regions had joined the Empire and quickly climbed the ranks of the Imperial Navy. From what we could gather, the Chiss had created an impressive military reputation with the many victories he had achieved as a result of the sometimes-unorthodox tactical methods he used in combat. _

_For the past five years, the Comms Channels have been buzzing with reports of rebel activity on the planet, Lothal. Some reports even claimed that there were Jedi survivors involved in several of the assaults; but I think that's just rebel propaganda talking. _

_Two years ago, we learned that an Imperial agent stationed on Lothal, had been leaking classified Imperial information to the Rebellion, shortly before defecting from the Empire entirely. What had started off as a small rebel cell had grown into a large rebel fleet that was becoming a problem for Imperial forces throughout the galaxy. Despite all the precautions the Empire took to discourage any future attacks on Lothal, the Rebels continued to achieve victory. _

_I won't lie; My brothers and I got some small satisfaction from hearing that the Rebels were making Imperial forces look like unorganized children (though, we would never admit it out loud). Heck; We'd have a better chance fighting for the Rebellion than rejoining the Imperial ranks. Based on our treatment these past twelve years, we were beginning to have little love for the Empire. _

_A few days ago, we heard that a large mining accident on Jedha had resulted in the destruction of Jedha City as well as a large portion of the planet. Once again, Imperials rushing to meet their quota; more concerned with their own greed, than the safety of their workers. 'Shame that Jedha had to pay for it._

_ As the squad and I wasted away, preforming our endless duties; we began to wonder if there was any hope of escaping our mundane existence on Scarif._

* * *

Scarif, 0.B.B.Y

"This is getting old." An aging Spooks groaned, as he and the other clones mopped the Med-bay floor.

"So are you, Spooks." Chuckled Shade, whose hair was now entirely grey. "At least you still have your looks."

Spooks shot his clone brother a dirty look.

"No, I mean it." Spooks continued. "I'm tired of the Empire treating us like trash. I just wish we could see some action, like we did back in the old days."

"Cut the chatter, You Two." Said Gloom. "We've still got a job to do."

"Yeah." Agreed Umbra. "If Fias Varsin catches us slacking off, he'll make us all regret it."

* * *

Once the Clones had promptly finished cleaning the floors of the Med-bay, they made their way to the troop barracks. Despite the fact that they resembled men in their late-sixties, the members of Shadow Squad had remained in surprisingly good physical shape and retained their keen eyes and sharp wit.

As they approached the barracks, Gloom received a transmission from Major Fias Varsin on his Imperial commlink.

"_CT-2187, Where have you and your squad been_?" The angry Major asked over the commlink. "_I've been trying to reach you for THE PAST THIRTY MINUTES!_"

"Sorry, Sir." Gloom apologized. "We were finishing up in the Med-bay on one of the upper levels. The medical equipment must have interfering with our comm-signals."

"_I don't want excuses, You Stupid Clone. I want—_"

The Major was suddenly interrupted by the sound of multiple explosions coming from outside the massive Imperial complex; the force of which, had caused the walls of the base to rumble for a brief second.

"What was that?" Asked Spooks looking around nervously.

The emergency alarms loudly reverberated through the many halls of the Military Complex.

"Attention. Attention. We are under attack. This is not a drill. Rebels forces are attacking Scarif Base. Deploy the Garrison. All available troops proceed to the beach. I repeat; All available troops proceed to the beach."

"You heard the man. Suit up!" Said Gloom. "Sorry, Major. We'll have to call you back."

"_Don't you_ \- *Click*-" The Captain turned off his commlink before the Major could get in another word.

* * *

As soon as they had made it back to their living-quarters, the members of Shadow Squad changed into their old black Covert Phase II Clone Armor. Within minutes of entering their living-quarters, they were exiting in full Clone Shadow Trooper Armor, with their helmets under their arms. Unfortunately, Major Varsin was waiting for them with a very displeased expression on his face.

"What do you think you're doing, Trooper?" Growled the Major; His nostrils flared in annoyance. "Who gave you permission to wear that armor?"

"It's our armor, Sir." Said Gloom. "Command ordered all available troopers to the beach to engage the enemy. My men and I are ready for battle."

"You?" The Major asked, unable to contain his laughter. "You must be joking. Take off that ridiculous armor and return to your duties."

"My men and I are able to fight. This is what we were bred for. We've proven our worth when we fought in the Clone Wars. We'll prove our worth fighting in the next!" Said Gloom standing his ground.

"I think not." Said the Major, sourly. "The Empire does not use washed-out soldiers in its ranks. You are an embarrassment; A relic of the Clone Wars; You are filth; No more valuable than dust on the very floors you sweep! I don't see soldiers; No; I see useless janitors; nothing more."

In a flash, Gloom drew one his twin DC-17 pistols from his holster, and shot the Major in the chest. The Major stood with a stunned expression on his face.

Gloom leaned in closer; now face-to-face with the dying Major. "We were soldiers first."

The Major's lifeless body, crumbled backwards then hit the floor with a loud thud.

The other clones stood in silence for a moment.

"I'm not cleaning that mess up." Said Shade.

"I don't know about you guys..." Said Spooks. "but I'm joining the Rebels."

"Sounds like a plan." Said Gloom, smiling for the first time in ages, before sliding his clone helmet over his head. "Umbra, if I can get you to a holotransmitter can you contact the Rebel forces on the ground?"

Umbra nodded. "Just point me in the right direction."

* * *

Once the clones had arrived at one of the Complex's holotransmitter stations, Umbra plugged his data-splicer into the dataport and tapped into the entire communication grid on Scarif.

"The base is in lockdown." He said. "They've locked all Rebel frequencies. There's no way to send any transmissions off-planet. Even I can't get a message out until the master power switch for the signal disruptor has been turned off."

"Can you connect to the Rebel frequencies on-planet?" Asked Gloom.

"Well…Yes." Said Umbra.

"Good. Patch us through. We need to contact whoever's in charge of the Rebels."

As the Clone Tech. Specialist scanned the frequencies, a voice on the radio was becoming easier to understand.

"This is Sergeant Melshi of the Rebel Alliance."

"We're through." Said Umbra triumphantly.

"_Who is this? How did you get access to this channel?_"

Captain Gloom picked up the comm-headset and spoke into the microphone. "This is Captain Gloom of Shadow Squad. My team and I are veteran clones defecting from the Empire. We're willing to offer our services against the Empire. Over."

"_Clones? On Scarif_?" Said the Rebel Sergeant confused. "_Under normal circumstances, I'd tell you to "get lost", but right now we'll take all the help we can get. How many of there are you? Over_."

"There's four of us. We still have fight in us and I can assure you that we have no love for the Empire."

"_That's good to hear. Welcome to the Rebellion, Shadow Squad. If you boys are ready to see some action, I have some men of the beach that could use some assistance. Over_."

"We'll help out where we can. Just let your forces know that we're friendlies. Over."

"_Copy that, Shadow Leader. Describe notable markings to help my men identify you and your team. Over_."

"Four clones, wearing Black Phase II clone armor from the end of the Clone Wars. Over."

"_Copy that. Keep all communication through this channel. See you on the beach. Melshi, Out_."

Gloom turned to his men. "You heard him. The Rebels need our help."

* * *

Just as Gloom exited the holotransmitter station, a blast whizzed past his head. The Clone Captain barely had enough time to duck before he saw the blast out of the corner of his eye. As he got to his feet, he saw who had fired it. Standing a few meters away pointing his blaster at Gloom, was Lt. Scull.

"That was a warning shot." Said the Death Trooper Lieutenant. "The next one won't miss."

"I'm sure." Said Gloom slowly drawing his vibo-knife "You've claimed to be better than me for years, Scull. Let's see if that's true. I've taught you all that you know…Not all that I know." He shook his head in disappointment. "You've already forgotten the first lesson I taught you; 'Observe your surroundings."

Before Either of them could attack, the Death Trooper was hit by a powerful blast from a heavy blaster. Gloom turned to see Spooks holding his still smoking DC-17M blaster.

"You were taking too long." Said Spooks. The clone suddenly realized his weapon was now out of ammo. "Great. That was my last round."

Gloom stooped down and picked up the dead Death Trooper's E-11D blaster rifle off the ground and tossed it to Spooks. "Nice shot. Now let's cut the chatter. The Rebels need us on the beach."

* * *

The U-wing that had accompanied Blue Squadron through the Shield Gate, finally landed on the beach.

"Troop reinforcements. Here we go." Shouted Laren Joma to the Rebel troops from the ship's cockpit, while her copilot, Taslet Colb, steadied the ship for the drop-off. Once the ship was steady, Laren quickly pressed a button above her.

A moment later, the loading doors on the U-wing slid open, as its forces exited the ship.

"FOR JEDHA!" Shouted Corporal Jolla Ivris as he exited the ship.

Sergeant Doja Kassel; a human female in her late twenties; quickly exited the ship soon after. She, and the rest of her squad, knew how personal this was for Corporal Ivris; whose family had been killed when the Empire destroyed Jedha City while testing their new superweapon a few days ago. A lot of lives had been lost that day and Ivris had been eager to take the fight to the Empire since then.

Good, she thought. We can use that passion that against the Empire.

Sergeant Melshi's voice came over the radio. "_Be on alert. I'm sending friendlies wearing black armor to your position. Proceed to your objective, Kyber Squad. Cause enough chaos to keep the Imps occupied at Pad-14 until Sergeant Erso and her team get the plans. Melshi, out._"

"You heard the man!" Shouted Sergeant Kassal. "MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"

* * *

A few minutes later, _Kyber Squad_ had reached Pad-14; from a safe distance they learned that an entire squad of Shoretroopers was occupying the landing pad. The squad's leader was manning an E-Web Heavy repeating blaster mounted on a tripod in the middle of the pad, while the other troops set up a defensive perimeter. The Squad Leader suddenly was alerted to the Rebel's presence.

"_Rebels! Blast 'em_!" The trooper said, pointing the squad out to his men as he and his men fired.

"FIND COVER!" Kassal shouted, as she and her men dived for behind a stack of nearby crates. Although two of her men had been killed during the approach, the rest of _Kyber Squad_ had found cover.

"WE NEED TO TAKE OUT THAT GUNNER!" Corporal Ivris shouted over the blaster-fire.

"IT'S TOO HOT! HOLD POSITION!" Ordered Kassal.

Blaster-fire whizzed past the Rebel's preventing any further movement.

"WE'RE PINNED DOWN!" Shouted Private Var Teeb. "WHERE ARE THOSE REINFORCMENTS SERGENT MELSHI PROMISED!"

Suddenly the Heavy blaster stopped firing.

As Sergeant Kassal peeked over the crates, she noticed that the Shoretrooper manning the Heavy blaster appeared as if he had suddenly been grabbed by an invisible attacker. He let out a sharp groan; his arms dropped lifelessly to his sides, despite the fact that he was still standing on his feet; the same happened to three other Shoretroopers a moment later.

_Kyber Squad_ watched in confusion as Four New Troops wearing black Clone Wars-Era Clone armor, suddenly appeared out of thin air behind the Imperials.

The Clones withdrew their vibo-knives from the lifeless Imperial troops; letting the bodies drop to the ground.

The one remaining Shoretrooper turned in confusion towards his squad's attackers; only to be gunned down by Gloom, who had shot the young Shoretrooper without even looking at him.

The Rebel Marines quickly raised their weapons and pointed them at the clones standing on the landing pad.

"Hold your fire." Ordered Sergeant Kassal, still pointing her own weapon at the clones. "Identify yourselves."

"We're friendlies. Sergeant Melshi sent us." Said Gloom. "This is _Shadow Squad_. I'm Clone Captain Gloom. This is Spooks, Umbra, and Shade. We're Imperial defectors."

Sergeant Kassal and the rest of the Rebel Marines slowly lowered their weapons; stunned that there were clones standing in front of them.

"Th…Thanks for the assist." Kassal said still shocked by the presence of the veteran-clones in front of her. "I thought the Empire put you all out of commission years ago?"

"They did." Said Gloom. "We're old; Not obsolete."

Feeling much more confident that the Clones were on their side, the young Sergeant lowered her guard.

"We'll put you to good use then. I'm Sergeant Kassal; this is Corporal Ivris; that's Private Teeb; and the blue Twi'lek carrying the radio on his back is, Lee Sarr; and the rest of the Marines behind us are what's left of Kyber Squad. As you can see, we're a little short-handed. We lost a few of our men on the way here. The other half of our squad are still in space."

"My team and I will help where we can." Said Gloom. "We've been stationed here for the past seventeen years. We know this place like the back of our hands."

"That'll come in handy." Kassal said with a smile. "The Rebel Alliance will take advantage of any support you can give us."

Just then several X-wings and a U-wing flew over their position.

"When can we expect the next wave of reinforcements." Asked Shade.

Kassal and Ivris looked at each other nervously, then looked back at the clone.

"We are the reinforcements." Said Corporal Ivris.

"The Empire closed the Shield Gate before Blue Squadron was able to get all its ships though. As of this moment, twelve X-wings and that U-wing are the only air support covering the ground forces, until the fleet brings down the Shield Gate.

"Hang on…" Lee Sarr said, pressing the earpiece of the radio's headset to his pointed ear and listened for their new orders. "Melshi wants us to engage the Imperial forces on the beach with Shadow Squad; while he and his men move to the bunker complex at the base of Citadel Tower to turn off the master switch to the signal disrupter."

Kassal turned to the clones. "Looks like you're the ranking officer here, Captain. We're going to need your tactical experience. Any assistance you and your men could offer us on the beach would be greatly appreciated. That armor of yours might come in handy again."

"I'm afraid, we won't be able to do that trick again." Said Umbra. "It's been a long time since we used this armor. We short-circuited our cloaking devices with that last use. We won't be cloaking any time soon."

"Looks like we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way." Said Gloom. He then drew a small map of the beach in the sand. "If we move along the tree-line to the north side of the beach and put a sniper here to provide suppressive fire, we might be able to sneak around the Imperial Infantry on the beach and attack them from behind, catching them off-guard."

Shade stepped forward. "I'd like to volunteer to be sniper on this one. I may be old, but I'm still the best shot between the four of us."

Gloom nodded, then turned back to Kassal. "Sergeant Kassal, you and the rest of _Kyber Squad_ follow us."

"Yes, Sir."

A moment later, both squads were on the move again.

* * *

The Imperial forces on the beach were beginning to overwhelm the small band of Rebel troops already on the beach. After learning of the Rebel presence on the beach, the Empire had deployed an entire platoon composed of Shoretroopers and Stormtroopers to the beach, in the hopes of overwhelming Rebel forces with their sheer numbers.

To the Empire's surprise, the Rebel forces had been able to hold off Imperial forces on the beach through the use of Guerrilla warfare. Before the Imperial had known what had happened, the Rebels were on the move again. Eventually, the rebels on the beach had no choice but to fall back as the Imperial platoon continued pressing their attack until the rebels were pinned down on the beach.

Hiding in the tree-line, _Shadow_ and _Kyber Squads_ waited in the bushes while the large Imperial platoon marched past them.

"Hold your fire. Let them pass." Whispered Gloom, to both squads. "Wait until the entire platoon passes."

A few minutes later, the end of the platoon had passed them by.

Without warning,_ Shadow_ and _Kyber Squads _emerged from the tree-line and fired at the Imperial platoon from behind; causing chaos and confusion in ranks of the Imperial forces.

"_They're behind us!_" shouted a stormtrooper, pointing at the two Rebel squads attacking the rear of the platoon.

Immediately, the Imperials in the back of the platoon, turned around and returned fire.

Reacting quickly, Gloom and the other rebels ducked behind anything nearby that they could use for cover.

From the cover of the tree-line, Shade began picking off Imperial's one-by-one with his old DC-19 Stealth carbine pistol, before switching to the Late-Commander Shadow's old WESTAR-M5 blaster rifle (set in its sniper configuration) once his pistol had run out of ammo.

The Imperials on the beach were getting attacked from three different sides. The Rebel forces were gaining the upper hand.

_***THUMP!* *THUMP!***_

The ground suddenly shook.

_***THUMP!* *THUMP!***_

An All-Terrain Armored Cargo Transport (or AT-ACT) Walker suddenly appeared on the far end of the beach as it emerged from the thick smoke. Its drivers had noticed the Clone sniper attacking its forces from the tree-line and had moved to assist the Imperials on the beach. Turning its head slightly towards Shade's position, the massive Walker aimed its twin MS-2 heavy laser cannons toward the tree-line.

Gloom suddenly realized what the Walkers next target was.

"**WALKERS! SHADE, LOOK OUT!"**

Before Shade could react, the Walker fired; obliterating the section of the tree-line where Shade had been hiding. The Clone Sniper was killed in the powerful explosion of cannon-fire.

"**SHADE!"** Gloom and the other clones shouted.

But it was too late; Shade was gone.

After quickly reigning in his emotions, Gloom realized there was nothing more he could do for Shade. There was a battle still going on and his troops needed him to be completely focused. There would be a time to grieve later. Now was not the time for sentiment.

"Keep pressing forward!" Ordered the Clone Captain. "Focus on the troopers! Don't worry about the Walker! Keep up the attack!"

* * *

Taslet Colb and Laren Joma swung the U-wing around for another pass. Just as its door gunner, Corporal Bistan, prepared to fire his mounted M-45 repeating ion blaster at another imperial walker on the beach; A TIE Striker flew behind the ship and fired at it repeatedly until it finally landed a hit on the lower left Fusial Thrust engine of the Rebel craft. The engine smoked as the U-wing rapidly lost altitude.

"We're hit!" Exclaimed Laren, as she and Taslet frantically tried in vain to correct the ship's rapid decent.

The flaming U-wing plummeted onto the beach; crashing into a dozen Imperial troops fighting on the beach, before finally exploding.

* * *

From the beach, Sergeant Kassal witnessing the destruction of the U-Wing and its crew; friends she had served with on several previous missions for the Rebel Alliance; Friends whose lives had been snuffed before her very eyes.

Blinded her current state of grief, the young Sergeant sprinted towards the U-Wing's burning wreckage.

"**Laren! Taslet! Bistan!**" She cried; desperately trying to reach the ruined shuttle.

A stray blast caught her in the back; killing her instantly.

_Frost it!_ Gloom cursed to himself. _We can't keep losing men like this._ He turned to Lee Sarr.

"Get me a line to Sergeant Melshi." He ordered. "Tell him we've lost Sergeant Kassal and need assistance on the beach."

After a few minutes of trying to reach Sergeant Melshi on the radio, the Twi'lek turned back to the Captain.

"He's not responding, Sir."

"Keep trying."

There a was a massive explosion a few kilometers from their position at the base of Citadel Tower.

That explosion came from the bunker complex, thought Gloom. No one could have survived that.

The Blue Twi'lek turned to the Captain.

"Their line just went dead…"

"I'm sure Melshi's team got to the master switch before that thing exploded." Said Umbra optimistically.

"What are your orders, Captain?" Asked Corporal Ivris.

At that moment, a single X-wing starfighter flew over the beach and launched two proton torpedoes at the AT-ACT; hitting it at the neck-joint.

The massive Walker exploded as the rest of its metal body collapsed beneath it onto the beach; the top half of its massive smoking body had landed at the edge of the shallow water, while its long legs spread across the sandy shore.

After losing their massive walker, the remaining members of the Imperial platoon turned and began to retreat.

Gloom smiled to himself; there was still hope. The Imperials just lost their advantage, he thought. We've just leveled the playing field.

"We still have a job to do. Take out those Imperials! Don't let them escape!"

With a newfound sense of confidence, the Rebels chased after the fleeing stormtroopers; killing them before they even made it to the jungle's tree-line.

Although pleased with this small victory, Gloom knew the battle was not over yet.

As if reading the Captain's mind, Spooks stepped forward.

"SHUT IT!" He bellowed.

The Rebels went silent.

"'Fight's not over yet, Boys." Spooks turned back to Gloom. "What are your orders, Captain?"

"We'll need cover." Gloom said. "We can use the U-wing wreckage as cover. Umbra, put out those flames around the shuttle; _Kyber Squad_, I need you to move all the crates scattered along the beach and stack them as close to the shuttle's position as you can them. We'll use them to make a wall around the wreckage; the rest of you, check the bodies. Grab whatever weapons you can carry and bring them here. We're going to need all the firepower we can find. Now move!"

As the men hurried along the beach, Gloom turned to Spooks.

"Not you, Spooks." He said. "I want landmines placed in the bushes along the jungle paths leading to the beach."

"How many do you need?" Asked the Clone Demolition Expert.

"How many do you have?"

Spooks started laughing after hearing this; these orders had clearly brightened his day.

"Enough." He laughed, before hurrying into the jungle.

* * *

A short while later, the Rebels had successfully converted the ruined U-wing into a small make-shift fort that suited their position's defensive needs. Although it was a tight fit, the small fort provided plenty of cover for the Rebels on the beach. The men crouched down silently; waiting for their next orders.

In the back of his mind, Gloom began to wonder if the men in front of him were now the last of the Rebel ground forces on Scarif. _Had the mission failed? Had all of this been for nothing?_ He shook his head. _Stop thinking that way, Gloom._ He thought to himself. _These men are looking for hope. Give them some_.

"Easy, Men." Said Gloom in a low tone. "It's only a matter of time before the Fleet gets through the Shield Gate and sends reinforcements. No matter what happens stay in formation. If any of you break ranks, I'll shoot you myself."

Suddenly, the sound of a distant explosion a few klicks from their position confirmed that the Imperial reinforcements were approaching. One of the Stormtroopers had stepped on one of Spook's landmines. Gloom's fears were coming true; the Empire had sent its remaining forces to the beach to finish off the rebels.

"Spooks." Said Gloom. "Get into position."

Spooks nodded, then made his way into the crashed U-wing and peered through the bent loading door on the starboard side of the ship; facing toward the jungle.

"Wait for them to get closer..." Whispered Gloom.

The Imperial forces continued approaching the beach; the troops taking better care to watch where they stepped.

"Steady..."

The troops were now meters from the beach.

"**FIRE!"**

Spooks lifted his "new" E-11D blaster rifle and fired it out the loading door window.

The approaching stormtroopers were suddenly mowed down by the clone's rapid fire. The rest of the Rebels joined him in the firefight.

Wave-upon-wave of Stormtroopers charged toward the beach; only to get shot by the defending Rebels and their clone allies. For every Rebel Marine that the Empire had managed to kill; the Rebels managed to take three more Stormtroopers with them.

Even after losing several of the Rebel Marines; including Jolla Ivris; Gloom commanded his men with authority as tough as durasteel; not one of them broke rank.

As the Imperials continued their assault, Spooks kept up his assault on the troops with his E-11D blaster rifle.

"I LOVE THIS BLASTER!" He laughed, loudly over the blaster-fire.

Gloom began to notice fewer and fewer X-wings in the sky. _I don't know how much longer we can keep this up without air support_, he though, _but if the Empire thinks we're going to go quietly, we're going to make as much noise as we can before silence falls._

As the battle continued, Gloom drew his twin DC-17 hand blasters and fought alongside his men against the charging Imperial forces.

A stray blaster-bolt grazed the Captain's left arm, causing the clone to drop one of his hand blasters and grab his wounded arm.

Two of his men moved to help him, but Gloom waved them off.

"I'm fine." He said. "Focus of the enemy."

Suddenly, the Imperials stopped firing and looked up.

"Look!" Shouted Umbra, pointing up at the sky. "The rebel fleet has taken out a Star Destroyer!"

* * *

Even from the ground, the large wreckage of an Imperial Star Destroyer being pushed towards the Shield Gate by one of the Rebellion's Hammerhead Corvette starfighters. Within seconds, the wreckage collided with the Shield Gate smashing the Wheel-shaped space station to pieces and deactivating the planet-wide deflector shield.

* * *

Back on Scarif, Lee Sarr's radio sprang to life with chatter. The Twi'lek turned to the Captain.

"Captain, there's an incoming transmission from the Rebel Fleet!"

"Patch it through." Ordered Gloom.

The Twi'lek tapped a button and activated the radio's external speaker.

"_To all Rebel forces. This is Admiral Raddus of the Rebel Alliance. We have received the plans to the Death Star; I repeat; we have the plans to the Death Star,"_

The rebels cheered.

"We won!" Cheered Private Teeb.

The Rebels chased after the retreating Imperials; only the remaining members of Shadow Squad had stayed behind to secure the beach for the Rebel reinforcements to land. Unfortunately, none would come.

* * *

A moment later, something massive exited hyperspace above the planet.

* * *

"The moon's never out this early." Said Umbra, looking up at sky in confusion.

Gloom agreed, at first glance the massive sphere-like object did resemble a moon, but there was something about the object that made the Clone Captain uneasy.

"That's not the moon…" Said Gloom in sudden realization. "…It's a space station."

Umbra checked his data-pad. Its scanners were going off the chart.

"Sir, there's a massive energy surge coming from that station." Said Umbra nervously keeping an eye on the massive station floating above the planet.

It's going to fire on the planet, Thought Gloom. There's no way anyone's going to get off this planet before that thing fires its weapon.

Gloom turned to his brothers.

"If you leave now, you might be able to get off the planet before that thing's weapons finish charging." He lied.

"We're old; not stupid." Said Umbra. "There's no escaping that thing."

The Clone Tech specialist tossed his data-pad aside.

"We're staying, Sir." Said Spooks.

Gloom removed his helmet and let it land on the sandy shore; then turned back to his clone brothers, who had done the same.

"It's been an honor serving you both, Brothers"

The Death Star fired its super-laser.

As the massive laser enter the atmosphere, it vaporized the top-third of Citadel Tower and impacted several kilometers off shore.

* * *

_I've played my part in two wars now; 'done many things I regret in both of them. I've blindly followed orders without even stopping to think if they were right. I've seen good men serving in both wars die fighting for a cause they believed in. My part in this last war was brief; but this is only the beginning of for the Rebels; They'll have to win this war without us._

_As I watched the impending doom approach; there was a moment of peace. My brothers and I had known a lifetime of war; trained for it; even bred for it… but in the next few seconds our fight would be over._

_The last thing I remember was a flash of white, engulfing the horizon as it came closer and closer; an intense burning sensation; then nothing…_

* * *

-The End


End file.
